Pregnancy

[Cait]

What herbs would be most beneficial, besides Red Raspberry leaves, to take during pregnancy? Also is it safe to take tinctures while expecting?

I am expecting my first : ) and I am still new to the herbal medicines. Thank You for any help or guidance you could give.

Cait

[MightyMom]

Would love to know too, I am pregnant with our thrid!

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

I’m going to have my wife LoriAnn help us with this one. She’s a midwifery student and a good herbalist in her own right.

Patrick

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[LoriAnn JonesStudent]

Some herbs seem to have been designed perfectly for women during the magnificent child bearing year. Not only are they safe, but using them is encouraged! As a general rule, you should only use herbs, which have very mild medicinal properties and are considered to be food because of their nutrative properties. Here are a few:

Raspberry Leaf: To be used throughout pregnancy, this herb tones the uterus and pelvic floor for childbirth, helps prevent miscarriage, soothes the entire urinary tract, relieves morning sickness, and provides a rich source of nutrients like vitamin C, phosphorus, manganese, iron, niacin, and calcium, among others. It can even help relieve discomfort during labor and birth.

Squaw Vine: Native American women used this herb as an aid during pregnancy for good reasons! It can be used throughout pregnancy to tone and nourish the uterus, helping your body prepare for a wonderfully safe and easy childbirth. Squaw vine is a mild diuretic which helps relieve uncomfortable water retention, and it soothes and regulates the bowels.

Nettle Leaf: This herb is highly nutritious, helping to relieve chronic fatigue and low energy resulting from insufficient iron before, during, and after childbirth. It promotes a rich, plentiful supply of milk after the birth. It soothes the urinary and digestive tracts, and will help the body fight infections.

Dandelion: The benefits of using this mild herb go on and on. It supports the kidneys and liver, providing a cleansing effect for the whole body. It is arguably the most nutritious plant on our planet. It can help decrease high blood pressure. It is an excellent diuretic, yet contains a high concentration of potassium so that important element won’t be depleted when excess water is eliminated from the body.

A few other excellent pregnancy-compatible herbs include: alfalfa, lemon balm, black haw, burdock root, chamomile flowers, cramp bark, ginger root, lady’s mantle leaves, motherwort, nettle leaves, lavender, oat straw, slippery elm bark, rose hips, St. John’s wort, yellow dock, and strawberry leaf. Take some time to learn about these herbs so you can come to understand how they can help make your pregnancy as joyful and problem-free as possible.

During the last few weeks or days of your pregnancy, and during labor and delivery, a midwife might recommend and use other stronger herbs as prompted by her wisdom and training. You should not use them without a midwife’s express instructions. Some of the herbs which might be found in a midwife’s medical bag are: angelica, black cohosh, blue cohosh, false unicorn, motherwort, pennyroyal leaf, shepherd’s purse, and yarrow. Feel free to read about these herbs as well, so you will better understand why midwives employ them.

Now I am going to give you a long list of herbs to avoid during pregnancy. Don’t use any herb during pregnancy unless you have thoroughly established with a variety of sources that it is recommended during pregnancy. Here are the herbs to avoid: aloes, angelica, arnica, barberry, black cohosh, blessed thistle, blood root, blue cohosh, broom, calendula, cascara sagrada, coltsfoot, comfrey, cotton root, damiana, dong quai, ephedra, feverfew, ginseng, goldenseal, gotu kola, juniper berries, licorice, lily of the valley, lobelia, mandrake, mistletoe, mugwort, nutmeg, parsley, pennyroyal, periwinkle, poke root, rue, sage, sarsaparilla, shepherd’s purse, tansy, wormwood, yarrow. These are a few, but of course not a complete list. (from Aviva Jill Romm’s excellent book, “The Natural Pregnancy Book.” You might also add “Herbal Healing for Women” by Rosemary Gladstar to your library.)

Famous English herbalist Henry Box said of raspberry leaves, “If the pains of childbirth are premature, it will make all quiet. If the mother is weak, it will abundantly strengthen her, cleanse her, and enrich her milk.” Let me share with you just a few more benefits of raspberry leaves for expectant mothers. This herb should be used throughout pregnancy, even in the first trimester, to tone up the uterus and pelvic floor for childbirth, help prevent miscarriage, soothe the entire urinary tract, relieve morning sickness, and provide a rich source of nutrients like vitamin C, phosphorus, manganese, iron, niacin, and calcium, among others. It can even help relieve discomfort during labor and birth.

Pregnancy Tea (delicious, nutrition, and refreshing)

3 parts Raspberry Leaves

2 parts Nettle Leaf

1 part Alfalfa Leaf

4 parts Peppermint Leaf

3 parts Lemon Balm Leaf

2 parts Squaw Vine

Stevia or honey to taste

Boil 2 cups of water, add 1 ounce of the

herb powder, and steep, don’t boil, for 10 to 20 minutes.

Drink 1/2 cup three or four times daily.

A few words about Squaw Vine: Dr. John Christopher taught that this wonderful herb is good for childbirth, uterine troubles, and urinary complaints, saying “It makes childbirth safe and wonderfully easy.” Don’t leave this herb out of your daily Raspberry Tea respite!

Start out using just the herbs from the Pregnancy Tea. Then study deeply more of the herbs safe for pregnancy. Try them when you think they might help. I keep a record book of the herbs I have used and studied so I can remember exactly what I tried and how well it worked for me.

Good luck to both of you!

LoriAnn

3 users thanked author for this post.

Elizabeth, Donna Larson, Maranda W

[LoriAnn JonesStudent]

Oh, tinctures are fine during pregnancy, assuming the herb they are made from is OK during pregnancy. Tinctures are usually made with alcohol, so I would suggest boiling a cup of water, removing it from the heat, and immediately add the recommended amount of tincture. The alcohol will dissipate out. Adding some kind of sweetner will help counteract the bitter taste of some herbs.

LoriAnn

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christa Renner

[maryannswenson]

My daughter is pregnant with her second child. She is sick to her stomach all the time and so tired. Is there anything you could recommend for her to try? I feel so bad for her and it is hard already having a little one to care for too. Thanks so much.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

maryannswenson wrote: My daughter is pregnant with her second child. She is sick to her stomach all the time and so tired. Is there anything you could recommend for her to try? I feel so bad for her and it is hard already having a little one to care for too. Thanks so much.

Here’s a good thread where we talked about that and got some good advice from Lori (my wife the midwifery student).

Patrick

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Author]

Posts